[Denizens of the Outer Dark] Deep One

DEEP ONE

I think their predominant colour was a greyish-green, though they had white bellies. They were mostly shiny and slippery, but the ridges of their backs were scaly. Their forms vaguely suggested the anthropoid, while their heads were the heads of fish, with prodigious bulging eyes that never closed. At the sides of their necks were palpitating gills, and their long paws were webbed. They hopped irregularly, sometimes on two legs and sometimes on four. I was somehow glad that they had no more than four limbs. Their croaking, baying voices, clearly wed tar articulate speech, held all the dark shades of expression which their staring faces lacked.

-- H.P. Lovecraft, “The Shadow over Innsmouth”

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1-12, 10-100

SIZE: Medium

HD: 2 (d8)

MOVE: 30 feet land / 60 feet water

AC: 15

ATTACKS: 2 Claw (1d2+2), Bite (1d8+2) or by Weapon (+2)

SPECIAL: Amphibious, Darkvision 60 ft., Strong (+2 Damage), Fast (+2 Initiative, +4 in water), Immortal, Sorcery, Black Magic (Wizard or Cleric 1st – 3rd)

SAVES: P + M

INT: Average to High

ALIGNMENT: Any Evil

TYPE: Humanoid

TREASURE: 3

XP: 35 + 2/HP (additional + 5 if Spell Caster)

Deep Ones are an ancient race of amphibious beings that serve and worship Great Cthulhu, who lies dead but dreaming in the undersea city of R’lyeh. Lead by Father Dagon and Mother Hydra, their natural habitat is the deepest depths of the ocean, but they surface on occasion to seek out human consorts for ritualistic mating in hopes to produce hybrid spawn. Lurking just on the fringe of society these vial creatures will stop at nothing to see the human race perish, and be reborn in the blasphemous likeness of their Father and Mother.

Deep Ones have been granted the boon of immortality by the dark gods they worship, and will only die if mortally wounded. Given just how ancient this race is, their evil nature and the dark powers they serve, Deep Ones have easy access to various forms of blasphemous magic, and many (50% of their population) are accomplished sorcerers. If engaged in combat under water, Deep Ones suffer no penalties to their movement, attacks or casting of spells.

The game mechanics discussed can be used for any edition of Dungeons & Dragons, but are specifically written for Castles & Crusades. As with most game materials I will present, this article is considered Open Game License (OGL).